Fiberglass pour-in-place form

ABSTRACT

A form including a pair of panels releasably connected to each other to define a cavity for receiving flowable and hardenable material with each panel constructed of glass fiber reinforced plastic material having any suitable finish surface on the exterior thereof with the panels including a reinforcing grid on the inner surface thereof for rigidifying the same. The panels are interconnected by tie rods detachably connected with the reinforcing members with the periphery of each panel including a channel by which the panel may be connected to a supporting structure or to other similar panels by employing a key member that is received in facing channels.

United States Patent [1 1 Johnson FIBERGLASS POUR-IN-PLACE FORM Inventor: Bobby G. Johnson, 1109 N.

Elizabeth, Durham, NC. 27702 Filed: Feb. 2, 1972 Appl. No.: 222,872

US. Cl. 52/426, 52/431 Int. Cl E04b 2/40 Field of Search 249/33, 34, 40, 190, 213; 52/378, 253, 256-258, 269-271, 285, 295, 298, 318, 357, 358, 428, 431, 432, 426, 595, 620, 711, 423, 424, 425; 287/53 TK [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Krieg Edgar [1 1 I 3,835,608 [4 1 Sept. 17, 1974 Primary Examiner-Price C. Faw, Jr. Attorney, Agent, or FirmClarence A. OBrien; Harvey B. Jacobson [5 7 ABSTRACT A form including a pair of panels releasably connected to each other to define a cavity for receiving flowable and hardenable material with each panel constructed of glass fiber reinforced plastic material having any suitable finish surface on the exterior thereof with the panels including a reinforcing grid on the inner surface thereof for rigidifying the same. The panels are interconnected by tie rods detachably connected with the reinforcing members with the periphery of each panel including a channel by which the panel may be connected to a supporting structure or to other similar panels by employing a key member that is received in facing channels.

6 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures FIBERGLASS POUR-IN-PLACE FORM The present invention generally relates to a form receiving and confining flowable material, such as hardenable cementitious material, foam plastic, or the like, where such material is poured into the form while in place with the form becoming integral with the hardenable material thereby forming an integrated panel which includes two opposing form panels that are interconnected by tie rods and which may be supported from a supporting base, or the like, and may be interconnected with similar forms to provide a continuous integrated wall structure, or the like.

An object of the present invention is to provide a pour-in-place form constructed of fiberglass and which includes a reinforcing grid work on the inner surface thereof formed by intersecting hollow channel members having outwardly diverging side walls that are secured to the inner surface of the panels by fiberglass thus forming a unitary rigidified panel structure.

Another object of the invention is to provide the fiberglass pour-in-place form in which the reinforcing grid channels are provided with sockets receiving the tie rods which are releasably retained in the sockets by spring-type key members which enable assembly of the panels without access to the interior thereof with the key members being provided with flexible pull lines, or the like, so that if necessary, the panels may be disassembled in relation to each other in the event it becomes necessary to gain access to the interior space between the panels of the form.

A further object of the invention is to provide a form in accordance with the preceding objects in which each panel is provided with a peripheral channel by which the panels may be mounted on a supporting base having a key associated therewith and by which adjacent panels may be secured together by employing a longitudinal key telescopically engaged with facing channels and secured thereto, thereby enabling an integrated form to be easily assembled for receiving hardenable material thereby forming a monolithic wall structure in which the exterior surfaces of the panels form the exterior of the wall thereby enabling the physical characteristics of the external surfaces of the wall to be determined by selecting panels having predetermined physical characteristics on the exterior thereof.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a vertical sectional view of the fiberglass pour-in-place form of the present invention illustrating the association of the two panels and the structure interconnecting the two panels.

FIG. 2 is an elevational view of the interior surface of one of the panels illustrating the reinforcing grid work thereon and the sockets on the reinforcing members.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmental sectional view illustrating the details of construction of the reinforcing members and interconnecting tie rods between the panels.

FIG. 4 is a detailed sectional view on an enlarged scale taken substantially along plane passing along section line 4--4 of FIG. 3 illustrating further structural details of the spring clip which interconnects the tie rods and sockets.

FIG. 5 is a detailed sectional view taken substantially upon a plane passing along section line 5-5 of FIG. 1 illustrating further structural details of the spring clip which secures the panel to the supporting base.

Referring now specifically to the drawings, the form is generally designated by the numeral 10 and includes spaced substantially parallel panels 12 and 14 both of which are identical in construction except that the exterior finish surface may be varied between the inner surface and the outer surface thereof. Each panel includes a fiberglass layer 16 and a finish layer or gel coat 18. The periphery of each panel 12 and 14 is provided with a laterally extending peripheral wall 20 having a channel-shaped peripheral recess 22 therein and an inwardly extending flange 24 at the inner edge thereof which structure is substantially the same as that disclosed in my copending application, Ser. No. 869,054, filedOct. 29, 1969 for Insulated Prefabricated Building Module and Method of Making Same now U.S. Pat. No. 3,643,394, issued Feb. 22, 1972.

Disposed interiorly of each panel is a plurality of reinforcing members 26 oriented to define a uniform grid with each reinforcing member being substantially a hollow channel-shaped member in which the side walls thereof diverge outwardly as illustrated in FIG. 3. The reinforcing members 26 are also constructed of a preformed fiberglass member with the fiberglass reinforcing members 26 being secured to the interior of the fiberglass layer 16 by fiberglass material 28 which is sprayed into the juncture between the reinforcing members 26 and the layer 16 with a suitable chopper gun, or the like, thus forming, in effect, a monolithic panel with the reinforcing members 26 rigidly fixed thereto and rigidifying the panel.

Certain of the reinforcing members 26 are provided with tubular sockets 30 projecting perpendicularly therefrom with the sockets 30 including a headed end 32 disposed on the interior of the reinforcing member 26 and rigidly retained in place by fiberglass material 34 so that the tubular shank of the socket 30 extends out through an opening formed in the reinforcing member 26. The socket members 30 are assembled with the channel-shaped member 26 prior to it being assembled onto the inner layer 16 of the panel. The sockets 30 are oriented at regular patterns throughout the grid work so that when panels 12 and 14 are disposed with their peripheries in alignment, then the sockets 30 will be in aligned relationship with the sockets being spaced apart a variable distance depending upon the overall thickness of a wall to be formed.

The sockets 30 are interconnected by a tie rod 36 that has rounded ends 38 to facilitate their insertion into the sockets 30. Adjacent each rounded end 38 of the tie rod 36, the rod is provided with a peripheral groove 40 which will align with opposed transverse slots or notches 42 formed in the sockets 30 as illustrated in FIG. 3 with the notches providing communication with the interior of the socket 30 and also providing access to the peripheral groove 40 in the tie rod 36. For securing the tie rod in the socket, a generally U-shaped spring clip 44 is provided which has inwardly facing resilient legs 46 which may be forced transversely of the socket and rod with the legs 46 received in the notches 42 and also received in the groove 40 thus locking the tie rod 36 telescopically within the socket with the resiliency of the spring clips 44 being sufficient to normally retain the tie rod in position and enable the tie rod 36 to be forced inwardly of the socket with the rounded end 38 camming the legs 46 apart with the legs subsequently springing back into the groove 40 in the form of a snap action thereby automatically locking the tie rod and socket in assembled relation. With this construction, one panel may be assembled with the tie rod disposed in the sockets and the other panel may then be assembled by engaging the sockets over the free ends of the tie rods 36 and forcing the panels together thereby assembling the panels by a snap action of the spring clips 44 engaging the grooves 40 in the tie rods 36. In the event it is desired to disassemble the panels 12 and 14 after assembly for any reason, such as when access may be required in the space interiorly of the panels, a flexible line or wire may be attached to each of the spring clips or each of the spring clips adjacent one of the panels so that the line or wire may extend to the exterior of the panel so that it may be pulled in a manner to release all of the spring clips thus enabling disassembly of the panels.

The panels 12 and 14 are supported from a supporting base, such as a slab 48 provided with upstanding ribs or key members 50 thereon which are telescopically received within the channel 22 and closely fit the channel 22. The panels may be secured to the supporting base 48 in various manners. For example, a bolt 52 embedded in the supporting base 48 may extend up through the channel into the interior of the panel 14 and be provided with retaining nut 44 thereon which may be tightened prior to assembly of the panel 12. The panel 12 may be assembled with the key 50 by providing a tubular socket 56 that is identical in construction with the sockets 30 except that the tubular socket 56 will be attached to the inner surface of the channel 22 in the same manner as the sockets 56 will be attached to the inner surface of the channel 22 by fiberglass material in generally the same manner as the sockets 30. In this construction, the retaining rod 58 has a rounded and grooved upper end similar to the end of the tie rod 36 so thata spring clip 60 may be employed to detachably connect the panel 12 to the key 50 with this spring clip also being capable of being retracted by the use of a flexible line attached thereto. Thus, the panels are assembled by assembling the outermost panel 14 first and thereafter'assembling the panel 12 therewith without the use of any external fastening means or tools. The key may be integral with the slab or may be a separate component disposed against the upper surface of the slab with the bolts being embedded in the slab or extending all the way through from the bottom thereof. Also, the panels may be interconnected by employing a peripheral key received in the facing channels and secured together in the same manner as the channels are secured to the supporting base with the key between adjacent panels being a double key, such as disclosed in copending application, Ser. No. 869,054, thereby enabling a complete wall to be assembled for receiving flowable hardenable materials, such as concrete, foam plastic, or the like, therein. At the upper end of a wall,

an adaptor may be provided on the lower surface of a roof panel keyed to the upper end of the wall by employing the same type of key. Also, the roof panel may be constructed in the same manner with a peripheral channel being provided for mounting a gutter or other structure thereon.

The finish or gel coat may be of any desired appearance to facilitate use of the panels in various installations. In using the form to construct building walls, electrical wiring, plumbing, duct work, and the like, may be installed prior to assembly of the two panels with the distance between the two panels being variable and the periphery of the panels be enclosed by a suitable closure member engaging the two channels and bridging the space between the inner flanges 24 in order to form door openings, window openings, and the like, with the uppermost edge of the walls being, of course, left open so that the hardenable material may be flowed into the space between the panels in a well known manner.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A mold in combination with hardenable material, said mold being rigidly affixed to the hardenable material to form a composite wall and comprising a pair of facing panels, means interconnecting said panels at a plurality of points to retain them in spaced relation for receiving hardenable material therebetween with the interconnecting means being embedded in the harden- .able material when poured, and means embedded in the hardenable material for mounting one edge of said panels to a supporting structure for supporting the composite wall in an upright position, each of said panels including a plurality of reinforcement members integral with the inner surface thereof, said means interconnecting the panels being attached to said reinforcement members, said reinforcement members being disposed in the form of a grid and at least partially embedded in and permanently and rigidly fixed to the hardenable material.

2. The structure as defined in claim 1 wherein said means interconnecting the panels includes socket means on said reinforcement members, tie rods telescopically received in said socket means, and means detachably connecting the ends of the tie rods to the socket means.

3. The structure as defined in claim 2 wherein each socket means includes a tubular socket, each tie rod includes a rounded end portion telescopically received in the socket with a peripheral groove adjacent thereto and notches in the side walls of the sockets, and a spring clip engaging the groove for releasably retaining the tie rods in the sockets.

4. The structure as defined in claim 3 wherein each spring clip is generally of U-shaped configuration with free end portions resiliently biased toward each other and received in the notches and grooves thereby enabling the clip to be connected with a pull line for retraction of the spring clips for releasing the tie rods from the sockets thereby enabling disassembly of the panels when desired.

5. The structure as defined in claim 4 wherein said means mounting one edge of said panels to a supporting structure includes a peripheral channel on each panel, said channel opening outwardly of the periphery of the panel, and a longitudinal key carried by a supporting structure received in said channel and a fastening member extending through the channel and an- .choring the channel and key in assembled relation.

6. A composite wall module comprising inner and outer rigid panels disposed in spaced parallel relation and defining a void, hardenable material flowed between the panels, said panels being constructed of fiber glass reinforced resin with a gel coat on the exterior surface, each panel including an inwardly projecting reinforcing grid integral with the inner surface thereof,

and connecting adjacent modules. 

1. A mold in combination with hardenable material, said mold being rigidly affixed to the hardenable material to form a composite wall and comprising a pair of facing panels, means interconnecting said panels at a plurality of points to retain them in spaced relation for receiving hardenable material therebetween with the interconnecting means being embedded in the hardenable material when poured, and means embedded in the hardenable material for mounting one edge of said panels to a supporting structure for supporting the composite wall in an upright position, each of said panels including a plurality of reinforcement members integral with the inner surface thereof, said means interconnecting the panels being attached to said reinforcement members, said reinforcement members being disposed in the form of a grid and at least partially embedded in and permanently and rigidly fixed to the hardenable material.
 2. The structure as defined in claim 1 wherein said means interconnecting the panels includes socket means on said reinforcement members, tie rods telescopically received in said socket means, and means detachably connecting the ends of the tie rods to the socket means.
 3. The structure as defined in claim 2 wherein each socket means includes a tubular socket, each tie rod includes a rounded end portion telescopically received in the socket with a peripheral groove adjacent thereto and notches in the side walls of the sockets, and a spring clip engaging the groove for releasably retaining the tie rods in the sockets.
 4. The structure as defined in claim 3 wherein each spring clip is generally of U-shaped configuration with free end portions resiliently biased toward each other and received in the notches and grooves thereby enabling the clip to be connected with a pull line for retraction of the spring clips for releasing the tie rods from the sockets thereby enabling disassembly of the panels when desired.
 5. The structure as defined in claim 4 wherein said means mounting one edge of said panels to a supporting structure includes a peripheral channel on each panel, said channel opening outwardly of the periphery of the panel, and a longitudinal key carried by a supporting structure received in said channel and a fastening member extending through the channel and anchoring the channel and key in assembled relation.
 6. A composite wall module comprising inner and outer rigid panels disposed in spaced parallel relation and defining a void, hardenable material flowed between the panels, said panels being constructed of fiber glass reinforced resin with a gel coat on the exterior surface, each panel including an inwardly projecting reinforcing grid integral with the inner surface thereof, said grid rigidifying the panel and being partially encompassed by hardenable material, a plurality of rod and socket means interconnecting the panels and embedded in the hardenable material, said rod and socket means including releasable fastening means enabling assembly and disassembly of the panels before pouring the hardenable material into the void, the pEripheral edge of each panel including an inturned flange having a channel formed therein for receiving a rib on a supporting structure or key members disposed between and connecting adjacent modules. 